Israeli Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Yossi Shelley, who is mired in controversies over his conduct while stationed in Abu Dhabi, made headlines again Saturday after he reportedly violated security rules by posting a photo of himself from inside Israel’s embassy in the UAE.

Shelley, who previously served as chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is widely reported to have irked the Emiratis several times in recent months, including when he was reportedly seen acting in an “undignified” manner at a bar one Friday night.

Although Shelley has not officially been removed from his post, an official working in the Gulf told The Times of Israel last month that he has become a “lame duck.”

In the latest incident to draw anger from the Gulf state, the Kan public broadcaster reported that Shelley posted a photo on social media from inside the embassy in Abu Dhabi, in violation of the UAE’s security rules.

Citing unnamed security officials, Kan reported that the photo posted by Shelley on X may have given hints as to the location of the office — at a time when the security establishment has warned of potential terror threats in the UAE, and of threats against Israeli and Jewish communities there in particular.

The post has since been deleted from Shelley’s account.

According to the report, UAE officials were angered by the protocol violation.

The incident comes weeks after Israel’s National Security Council upgraded its travel warning for Israelis in the Gulf country, saying: “terrorist organizations are operating with increased intensity these days in efforts to harm Israel.”

Shelley has previously been reported to have clashed with his security detail after they refused to overlook other violations of security protocols. on violating security protocols

In late July, Israeli television channels reported that Shelley would be replaced after an incident at an Abu Dhabi bar that Emirati officials had said was “not acceptable” and “harms our honor.”

Shelley crossed “a huge red line in a place like Abu Dhabi,” an official with knowledge of the details told The Times of Israel.

At the time, Channel 12 news reported that Shelley had been out on a Friday night in Abu Dhabi with several friends and acted in an “undignified” manner. The Emirati government heard about the alleged incident and communicated its anger to Israel through unofficial channels.

“Hitting on women and getting too physical — that’s a huge no-no,” said the official.

An official who worked in the Gulf told ToI that the Emiratis did not want Shelley as ambassador. Since their priority is defense technology, they wanted a former senior defense official, such as Avi Dichter or a retired general.

“He’s a lame duck now,” said the official. “No one will meet with him.”

According to a senior Foreign Ministry official who spoke with Channel 12, Shelley’s conduct while in Abu Dhabi has been inappropriate from the start, and has angered both Israeli and Emirati officials.

“The only thing he ever talks about is prostitutes,” the official said. “That’s the thing he tells everyone about, that’s what he likes to talk about the most.”

While the Foreign Minister has not commented on any of the reports regarding Shelley’s conduct, and Netanyahu has not officially dismissed him, Channel 12 reported Saturday that the premier is already looking for a new role to give Shelley once he is stripped of his ambassadorship.

According to the report, the chairmanships of both Israel Aerospace Industries and the Israel Land Authority are in the running for his next position.

Shelley, 65, is a Netanyahu confidant and Likud activist. He served as ambassador to Brazil from 2017 to 2021, and was also director general of the Beersheba Municipality.

Shelley was ridiculed in 2019 during his stint in Brazil for attempting to conceal the fact that lobster — one of the foods forbidden by Jewish dietary laws — was served during a meeting with the country’s then-president Jair Bolsonaro, by photoshopping an image of the meal.

He was barred from public office for three years, from 2012 to 2015, after admitting that despite being a Likud member, he had not declared his political affiliation while acting as chairman of the Israel Postal Company’s board of directors and director general of the Beersheba municipality.